Stricken
by BeachBlonde393
Summary: A year after her relationship with Ron ended awefully, Hermione finds herself not happy with her life at all. She decides a vacation might help her snap back but, little does she know that Draco Malfoy is really the cure.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione was sick.

She was sick of work. She had been working her butt off every day since she started at the Ministry three years ago. Even if she was too ill to walk, she found a way to crawl to work.

She was sick of her family. Ever since her relationship with Ron fell through her mother had been on her case about her dying need to have grandchildren. "I don't care if you have to adopt, Hermione! You are our only child and the only chance I have to get a grand baby before I die!" Her mother had become very fond of insinuating her death from lack of grandchildren. Hermione couldn't do anything but roll her eyes at that. Her mother was only forty-nine.

On top of all of that, she was sick of her friends. Not in the kind of way that she would want to quit being friends, she was just tired of watching them all be so...happy. Harry and Ginny had just had their wedding the year before. After the wedding, Hermione fell into her "sickness". It was that night that Tilly Belle Weasley was conceived. Honestly what kind of a name was Tilly Belle? One conjured up from the mind of Lavender Brown of course. It was at Harry and Ginny's reception that Ron (Hermione's boyfriend at the time) had too much Veela Wine and cheated on her with Lavender in the coat check room. For awhile everyone was outraged with him, even Mrs. Weasley. But when news of Lavender's pregnancy spread, everyone suddenly went from 'Poor Hermione' to 'Hermione-Needs-To-Move-On'. So shortly later, the baby was born and right as Lavender popped the little screaming girl out, Ron proposed. Which was the one thing Hermione could never get out of Ron.

And here Hermione was, left sick because everything in her life had gone drastically in a different direction. Everyone was moving on as the world turned and she felt like she was left behind. The wedding was going to be in exactly two months and Hermione didn't think she would last that long. She was sure by then she would be not just sick, but terminally ill.

Hermione walked into her London flat, arms full of groceries, after another grueling day of work. She set the bags down on her counter and said a few quick spells to send the items into their proper places. She normally didn't use magic for such simple tasks, but she was not up to any more labor for the day. "Hello Crookshanks," she scratched the cat that was laying on the armrest of her sofa behind the ears on her way to her bedroom.

Hermione's place wasn't very large and modern like Harry and Ginny's, but it was her own. It was very feminine with lots of creams and blush colors in her kitchen and living room. Her bedroom was relaxing and painted a soft periwinkle. She never had Neville's touch with plants so she kept orchids throughout her flat. They were very easy to keep alive and added a simple girly touch to the place. Her pride and joy, however, was her wall length bookshelf in her living room. She had spent at least a month filling it up with her old books from childhood and Hogwarts and adding new ones. It was truly her dream bookshelf and she was still working on reading every book on its shelves.

Hermione changed into her pajamas and picked up the novel she was currently working on. She plopped down on her sofa and conjured up a large glass of fizzy butterbeer. With her book in one hand and her drink in the other, she sank down into her cushions.

If Ginny were to floo into her apartment at that moment, Hermione would be sincerely embarrassed. Today she wasn't reading the typical Hermione novel. Lately, she had become increasingly more interested in the cheap romance novels you could find next to the magazines at any convenience store. They were a short read and quickly took Hermione's mind away from the world she was currently living in.

The girl in this particular one she was reading had a similar situation to Hermione. She was bored with work and life in general so she decided to take a vacation for herself and went to Jamaica for the week.

'Maybe getting away for awhile isn't such a bad idea,' Hermione thought. 'But where would I go?'

Her money situation at the moment was not what she would have liked it to be. She knew for a fact Jamaica was out of the question. She needed a place, preferably a beach, nearby that she wouldn't have to pay too much for.

Suddenly, it struck her in the back of the head. Her aunt Agatha had a house right on the beach in the south of France. She could get her mom to ask if she could stay there for awhile.

Hermione grabbed her phone and dialed her mother's number. She knew for a fact her mom would be hesitant to go along.

"Hello."

"Err..Hey, Mum," Hermione said.

"Hermione dear, is everything alright. You don't usually call on a week night."

"Yes, everything is fine, I just need a favor."

"Of course, what is it, Dear?"

"Well, I'm just so tired and stressed with work. I have never taken any vacation or sick days since I've started my job. And well, I was thinking that maybe I could take a short vacation and stay at Agatha's in Nice for a week," Hermione got the whole sentence out in one breath.

"Hermione, I think that is a wonderful idea. You know, I was just saying to your father, all Hermione needs to get re-situated is a nice vacation away. Can you sit tight while I call Aggie up?"

Hermione let out a sigh of relief, "Yes I sure can, Mum."

Hermione downed the rest of her butterbeer as she waited for her mother to call back. This was the happiest she had felt in over a year. The thought of not having to do paperwork or have a weekly dinner at the Weasley's was exciting to her. It only took another minute for her mother to call back.

"Now Hermione, Aggie said that it would be no problem at all if you stayed at her place as long as you left everything exactly as you found it. She doesn't want to go back there later and find unmade beds and broken vases."

"I'm not going there to have house parties. I just need some rest and sunlight."

"You know, I really think this is a step in the right direction for you. And who knows, maybe when you get back you'll feel new again. Your tan might attract some new male attention and you will at last give me a grand baby and everyone will be happy."

"Maybe, Mum," Hermione said almost groaning.

"Well. Your all set to go there tomorrow if you like. Do call and let me know you make there safely."

"I will."

"Good, be safe. I love you, Hermione."

"Love you too, Mum."

With the end of the phone call, Hermione danced into her bedroom and jumped on her bed. She had no idea why this idea had never dawned on her before, but she felt like framing the book that inspired it.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione paced her room back and forth. It was early the next morning and she was veering towards insanity about packing her suitcase. She had already packed the proper amount of outfits and undergarments, but she couldn't decide on whether she wanted to pack a dress. The doorbell rang before she could make up her mind. 

"Hey Gin," Hermione said opening the door wide enough to let her friend inside. "Again, thanks for watching Crookshanks while I'm gone."

"It's no problem, Hermione. Crookshanks is no bother. What are you up to?" Ginny walked inside and went straight into Hermione's bedroom. She had her hair pulled up into a ponytail and was wearing blue workout clothing. Ginny was still in training to be on the HolyHead Harpies team. She had six a.m. practices every weekday morning.

"I'm just trying to pack," Hermione followed the girl into her room. Ginny was digging through her suitcase making small clicking sounds at different items.

"Hermione, your going to the beach and you aren't even packing a swimsuit," Ginny went to Hermione's drawers and pulled a few out.

"I'm not really planning on swimming. I think I'm mostly going to just catch up on some sleep, fill up on food, and read a few books," Hermione tucked the swimsuits she was handed in her suitcase anyway.

"Hermione I am going to put my foot down on that. If you don't come back at least two shades darker I swear you will come home with all of your books mysteriously missing. Oh, are you packing this?" Ginny grabbed the dress Hermione had laid out and neatly folded it up.

"That's what I was trying to decide on, but I guess I will take it considering you are already folding it up," Hermione went to her bathroom and grabbed her remaining cosmetic items.

Ginny sat down on Hermione's bed and out of no where began to give her a very stern look as if she were her mother. "Hermione, I've been thinking you know."

"Yes, people tend to do that," Hermione said, zipping her suit case up. She could sense a lecture coming on.

Ginny frowned slightly but continued, "Well this is serious Hermione. It has been over a year now since 'you-know-what' happened and you have yet to go on one date."

After Tilly's birth, the whole Weasley family had begun to act like that night never happened. It was their way of keeping the child from knowing she was a mistake.

Hermione groaned, "Ginny, you now I'm not ready for that stuff. It's still very hard for me to see the man I loved married to a woman I hate and fathering her child," Hermione and Ron were still friendly with one another, but for Hermione it was in the kind of forced way. She just couldn't act like she felt normal around him.

"But Hermione, don't you see how it makes Lavender feel like she won. All she ever wanted throughout school was Ron and when you took him from her she was livid. Now your just making her seem like she has stolen your life from you."

"Cut to the chase already, Gin?" Hermione shot the redhead her worst dagger eyes.

"I-I am just saying that well, you need to date, Hermione. I have found the perfect guy that I just know you would get along with and I have kind of arranged a blind date for you when you get back," Ginny began to cower as she saw the red flush rising in Hermione's face.

"I'm so sick of you Weasley's telling me how to run my life!" Hermione grabbed the handle of her suitcase, turned on the spot, and apparated out of her room. Her crack was so loud as she left it shook her furniture.

She appeared on a stone path of a small garden that led to a familiar peach colored house with blue shutters and covered with vines. She felt very remorseful for leaving the way she did. Ginny was only trying to help. Hermione vowed to mail her a postcard apologizing the next day.

She walked inside the house and was surprised to see the interior had not changed since her last visit. The interior design of the whole house screamed that it was done by her aunt. It was very busy and full of odd antiques and warm colors. The living room/dining room was the first room of the house and it had two large red velvet couches in an 'L' shape under the windows that overlooked the front yard. The walls were painted yellow and there was at least one brown bookshelf on every wall. None of the furniture matched and the beautiful stone floor was covered with an ugly, worn out rug for some reason.

Hermione sighed and headed up the white painted wood stairs with her suitcase dragging behind her. It was not her ideal place to stay for relaxation, but she could make deal since it was free.

There was only two bedrooms in the house. The master was painted white with yellow sponged on. The second was the room she used to stay in and just the thought of its ugly pink striped walls made her want to vomit so she didn't step foot near it. The plus side of the master bedroom was that it had a large white marble tub with windows that overlooked the pool in the backyard and the Mediterranean Sea.

Hermione decided that would be the best first thing to do to start her relaxation trip and so she grabbed the book she had been reading and turned the faucets on. She poured some of her aunt's gardenia scented bubble bath into the tub and gently placed her body in.

Her mind was completely gone when she began reading her book where she had left off. The girl in it was spending some alone time playing in the sand of the beach in front of her rental house. When she finished creating a large sand mermaid, she rolled out her towel and began to sunbathe topless, enjoying the feeling of freedom it gave her. This was quickly interrupted when a four wheeler plowed over her creation and almost herself if she had not jumped up. It was a very attractive, tan man about her age. Her grabbed her towel and handed it to her to cover herself up as he apologized. She just kind of mumbled something as she was completely entranced by his shining white smile. He offered to make it up to her by taking her to dinner. She only nodded her head and he took off again after telling her his name was Daman.

Hermione was pruned as the ended the chapter. She changed into her pajamas and went to the kitchen to look for a small bite to eat before she went to bed. There was nothing but eggs and a jar of olives in the fridge, but Hermione did find a bag of popcorn in a cabinet. She heated it up with her wand and poured a glass of water before calling it a night in the overly orange sheets of her bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Draco apparated into the living room of his vacation home and the overwhelming smell of his mother stopped all breaths he intended on taking in the near future. It was the smell of a perfume he only smelled from her, being that it was far too exspensive for any normal person he came across to wear. It had notes of soft flowers, adding to her gentle disposition. But, Draco was now questioning his stay here, afraid the smell would cause him to relive many memories he'd rather not travel back to in his mind.

His mother had bought this house in Nice after the war, when his father had been sentenced to life in Azkaban. She was devastated and needed a place to escape the memories the Manor held.

Yes, escape was what this houses purpose was. So here Draco was, escaping his life. Escaping the day-to-day routine he had become so in sync with. Escaping the constant hammering from his mother to go on dates and get married and give her plenty of grand children and only then find some time to make himself happy.  
Escaping the countless number of assistants in his office throwing themselves at him daily as well as the vulture-like manor Pansy had developed when she was moved to the same department as him. Overall, though, escaping the loneliness that being Draco Malfoy was.

In many ways, Draco was just trying to escape himself. He wasn't proud of what his life had turned into. He didn't like the fact that his reputation from Hogwarts and his father still influenced every first impression he was given. He didn't feel like that little boy anymore. Though, it wasn't like anyone would know this. Draco wasn't raised in the kind of family where feelings were respected or listened to.

So, Draco didn't even bother telling his mother he was staying here for the week. All he managed to do was leave a note on his boss's desk the morning before. The one thing he regretted about not being at work was missing Pansy's face when she realized he wasn't there. He wondered if she too would become ill and need to stay home.

Actually scratch that, Draco didn't care. He didn't even know why he was wasting his intelligence on thinking of such things. He tried to make a habit of not wasting his brain cells on people not worth his time, someone like Pansy.

Draco had never actually stayed in his mother's vacation house, but the second thing he noticed about it is that it's very white, a big contrast to the manor. The furniture all had an old, French antique feel and the house had small places of color. Draco made his way up the marble staircase and explored the four bedrooms. The first two each had a set of twin beds, the first set white and yellow and the second set white and pink. The next room was very spacious with a queen bed and windows that overlooked the pool and the water. It's color scheme was white and orange, very orange, but he figured this was probably the most masculine room he would find so he set his stuff down.

The last bedroom was white and blue, and definitely belonged to his mother. It had a walk-in-closet and an enormous marble tub that was the center piece of the bathroom. As un-masculine as it may have been, Draco had to admit he might be using that tub later on. Hot water had a nice radar for finding aching muscles one never knew were causing pain to begin with.

The wind lightly palmed Draco's face as he walked through the French doors that led to the balcony. He had to hide a smirk as happiness spread intensely through his body. This place was definitely a perfect escape home.

* * *

**I've been feeling the urge...no the need to write again. I'm not feeling up to attempt work on my novel idea, so I thought I'd revisit this. I've always enjoyed getting inside of Hermione and Draco as characters...so I thought I'd experiment with writing Draco (something I've never done before). I'm not sure if I will do that throughout the story or not, but it was nice. An escape lol**


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